The Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international initiative uniting states and civil society organizations, has decided to suspend Georgia’s membership. “The country has dropped out of a vital international platform aimed at enhancing transparency, government accountability, and citizen participation,” according to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).
What is the OGP and why does it matter?
The OGP brings together democratic nations and states on the path to democracy that commit to becoming more transparent and accountable to their citizens. It is a space where governments and civil society work together to reduce corruption, expand access to information, and strengthen citizen engagement. For many years, Georgia was considered a success story in this regard, according to NGOs.
What preceded the decision?
In 2023, amid intensifying repression against civil society and the media by the Georgian government, the OGP temporarily suspended the country’s membership and gave the authorities a specific deadline—until the end of 2025—to fulfill two recommendations:
- repeal all laws that restrict the rights of civil society, the media, and citizens;
- ensure the protection of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and civil society activities from physical and other attacks.
Instead of implementing these recommendations, the Georgian government, according to the organization’s assessment, worsened the situation: democratic backsliding continued, fundamental human rights were restricted, and new laws targeting civil society and the media were adopted. Consequently, civil society organizations involved in the OGP process refused to cooperate with the “Georgian Dream” (the ruling party) government in protest.
The OGP concluded that the minimum environment necessary for open and accountable governance no longer exists in the country and has permanently terminated Georgia’s membership.
What does this decision mean?
The OGP’s decision confirms that Georgia has drifted away from the democratic standards it had committed to uphold. The country has lost international trust and opportunities for democratic development.
On one hand, the “Georgian Dream” government is tightening control over the funding of civil society and the media, attempting to restrict their activities under the pretext of “transparency”; on the other hand, it fails to meet international standards of transparency and accountability itself, thereby losing membership in an organization founded on those very principles.
Why is this important for Georgian citizens?
Exclusion from the OGP is not just a matter of foreign policy. It is directly linked to the rights of every citizen: how freely one can express an opinion, how independent the media is, how transparent the state is, and to what extent society can hold the government accountable.
“This decision shows that democratic institutions in the country are not functioning, and the voice of the citizens is no longer heard,” states the declaration signed by: Transparency International Georgia; the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI); “Green Alternative”; the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA); and the Civil Society Institute.
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